Stephen Volz, assistant administrator for National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service at NOAA, said NESDIS is adopting an approach where a satellite is built while taking into account other satellite constellations and how the systems work together, SpaceNews reported Tuesday.

Speaking at a Space Foundation webinar, Volz explained that a portfolio approach to Earth-observation mission is aimed at helping the agency "have the best mix and match of instruments and observations in the coming years."

NOAA also prepares for a possible change in its data-gathering approach and considers the use of low Earth orbit observations from the systems of the agency's partners, including the U.S. Space Force, NASA, Eumetsat, European Space Agency (ESA) and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

Volz said some of NOAA's partners studying the difference between data gathered by large satellites and constellations of small satellites. According to him, small satellite constellations have more coverage than "the old approach" and enable flexibilities in instrumentation.

“We’re working with our partners to see what they’re learning, but also potentially to use that same approach for our low Earth orbit satellites in the next generation,” he added.

Rima Kasia Oueid, commercialization executive in the Department of Energy's (DOE) technology transitions office, said collaboration with the private sector could help DOE to further quantum information science (QIS) research work and apply the emerging computing technology to modernize power grid infrastructure, FedScoop reported Tuesday.

She gave her perspective on the potential of quantum-based algorithms for power grid management during a virtual forum hosted by the American Council for Technology-Industry Advisory Council.

Kasia Queid told event attendees that industry has shown interest in the combinatorial optimization concept and she believes integrating classical and quantum algorithms could support optimization use cases.

DOE has invested more than $1 billion in QIS projects in the past few years, according to the publication.

Congress established the department's Office of Technology Transitions in 2015 to encourage public-private partnerships in research and development projects such as quantum computing work.

The Department of Defense (DOD) has introduced an artificial intelligence development competition with the intent to identify algorithms that have the potential to facilitate autonomous coordination among long-range, fixed-wing air vehicles built to operate at high speed in a contested environment.

DOD is inviting commercial organizations to propose AI-based algorithms for a prototyping project that will center around collaborative formation, threat avoidance and dynamic task allocation, the Defense Innovation Unit said.

The department plans to hold a series of events where participants will demonstrate prototypes through an unclassified setting that uses an integrated live-virtual-constructive model along with the Advanced Framework for Simulation, Integration and Modeling framework.

Selected vendors will have access to a government reference architecture they can use as the development baseline and will aim to provide modular algorithms or complete agents to the government for simulation-based assessments.

Participants will compete to showcase the performance of their offerings via three preliminary events, followed by a final prototype competition, DIU noted.

Interested parties can submit proposals through June 6.

Join GovCon Wire’s AI: Innovation in National Security Forum on June 3 to hear from federal and industry representatives as they share insight on the use of emerging technology in efforts to stay ahead of adversaries.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has called on federal agencies to take action on its recommendations to fully implement the foundational practices for managing supply chain risks associated with information and communication technologies.

The foundational practices include establishing executive oversight of ICT activities; developing an agency-wide ICT supply chain risk management strategy; setting up a process to carry out a SCRM assessment of a potential supplier; and creating organizational procedures to detect organizational procedures to detect compromised and counterfeit ICT products prior to deployment, according to a GAO report published Tuesday.

In December, a compromise involving the SolarWinds Orion network management software suite was discovered. During that month, the congressional watchdog reported that none of the 23 civilian agencies had fully carried out the foundational ICT SCRM practices.

“GAO stressed that, as a result of not fully implementing the foundational practices, the agencies were at a greater risk that malicious actors could exploit vulnerabilities in the ICT supply chain, causing disruptions to mission operations, harm to individuals, or theft of intellectual property,” the report reads.

If you want to know more about the latest updates about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, then check out Potomac Officers Club's CMMC Forum coming up on June 16. To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page. 

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is set to release cybersecurity regulations for pipeline companies in response to a ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline that resulted in fuel shortages in the southeastern U.S., The Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) at DHS will issue this week a directive that would require pipeline operators to report cyber incidents to TSA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Another set of mandatory requirements is expected in the coming weeks meant to help companies protect their systems from cyberattacks and respond to breaches, according to senior DHS officials.

“The Biden administration is taking further action to better secure our nation’s critical infrastructure,” Sarah Peck, a spokeswoman for DHS, said in a statement. “TSA, in close collaboration with CISA, is coordinating with companies in the pipeline sector to ensure they are taking all necessary steps to increase their resilience to cyber threats and secure their systems.” 

TSA’s first measure will direct pipeline companies to assign a cyber official responsible for reporting attacks to TSA and CISA through a direct line and assess the cybersecurity posture of their systems against current cyber guidelines.

“This is the first step, and the department views it as a first step, and it will be followed by a much more robust directive that puts in place meaningful requirements that are meant to be durable and flexible as technology changes,” said a senior DHS official.

The officials said the new directives may impose financial penalties should companies fail to address problems and shortcomings.

If you want to know more about the latest updates about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, then check out Potomac Officers Club's CMMC Forum coming up on June 16. To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page.

Nitin Natarajan, deputy director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said a crackdown on cryptocurrency would not hamper threat actors from launching ransomware attacks, Nextgov reported Tuesday.

“Criminals have always found an innovative way to continue the attack [through] some mechanism so, you know, if we were to magically flip a switch and make Bitcoin for instance completely transparent, they're going to find another way to do it,” Natarajan said Tuesday during a panel discussion on ransomware as a service.

He also highlighted the importance of adopting defensive measures against cyber threat actors. 

“We really push focusing on the prevention side, you know, how can we strengthen the ability for businesses, or large, small, and governments of all levels, and globally, to really protect themselves,” Natarajan added.

If you want to know more about the latest updates about the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), then check out Potomac Officers Club's (POC) 2021 CMMC Forum coming up on June 16th. 

CMMC Accreditation Body Chairman Karlton Johnson will serve as the keynote speaker for the Forum to provide his overview and vision of the CMMC Rollout as well as the top priorities for the board and how industry feedback will help to improve the vision behind how the organization develops for the first 100 days.

To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page.

Unanet A/E announced on Tuesday that it has signed a new agreement with True North Solutions. The agreement stipulates that Unanet A/E will replace True North’s disparate business management systems with one simple-to-use platform that provides a single source of business information with real-time, interactive insights that facilitate data-driven business decisions.

“As our firm expands, it has quickly become clear we needed improved reporting, project visibility, resource planning and management that simply wasn’t possible with the basic technology tools we currently have implemented,” commented Blair Hanel, True North Solutions president.

“Unanet A/E will give us reports and dashboards with real-time information so we can easily and quickly track project updates and make decisions based on up-to-date information. And most importantly, as we continue to grow domestically and internationally, we know Unanet A/E will scale and expand with us,” Hanel added.

True North will use Unanet to replace its use of QuickBooks, Tenrox and homegrown spreadsheets, which the company had used to manage its business at the earliest stages. The company has grown to the point where a more comprehensive ERP system is required to handle its data.

Unanet A/E’s ERP system incorporates built-in multi-currency and multi-company capabilities to enable True North to manage its growing business across borders with seamless and straightforward accounting and invoicing. Unanet A/E’s technology will offer real-time data updates, project management and insight. True North can offer increased transparency to its clients.

True North has begun implementing Unanet A/E and intends to roll it out to its employees in Denver and Calgary by mid-2021.

“We frequently hear about companies running their large-scale businesses with tools that simply can’t keep up with their rate of growth,” said Matt Pantana, SVP of Product for Unanet A/E.

“When it becomes time to make the digital transition to more sophisticated business management, our trusted team takes the time to explain and educate businesses about how ERP systems can benefit them and builds a solution that works for them and integrates easily, rather than forcing them to adapt their company to the system.”

The U.S. Space Force has opened a $12.8 million facility dedicated to the research and development of space military technology.

Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate conducted a ribbon-cutting ceremony last Thursday to celebrate opening the Space Warfighting Operations R&D (SWORD) laboratory, Air Force Materiel Command said Monday.

The SWORD lab takes 26,000 square feet of space for laboratory operations and office activities of 65 scientific, technical and support personnel. Col. Eric Felt, who leads the Space Vehicles Directorate, hosted the ceremony where AFRL Commander delivered a keynote speech.

“We will also invest in technologies to increase the resistance of satellite systems to cyberattacks, and we will be working in the area of autonomy to enable space systems to automatically detect and respond to threat conditions faster than a human operator could achieve,” Felt stated.

John Hill, principal director for space policy at the Department of Defense (DOD), told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) that the U.S. needs bolstered space-based technologies to compete with foreign adversaries, DOD News reported Monday.

Hill said U.S. national security requires these technologies as adversaries Russia and China continue to invest in counter-space systems.

'Russia and China view space as critical to modern warfare and consider the use of counter-space capabilities as both a means of reducing U.S. military effectiveness and winning future wars,'' he stated.

Gen. David Thompson, vice chief of space operations, said the U.S. Space Force will focus on integrating into the military's joint force in the service branch's second year of activity. USSF will also expand its efforts to establish new partnerships and sustain existing ones as part of the service's integration plan.